Automatic shoe polishing machine

ABSTRACT

An automatic shoe polishing machine with a housing having an end opening for the insertion of a shoe to be polished by a pair of side brushes and a horizontal brush positioned at the corners of an isoceles triangle and driven on flexible shafts, a driven sand removing brush below said side brushes and a slideable plate below said side and front brushes for supporting said shoe and operating a switch for the drive for said brushes.

Unlted States Patent 1191 1111 3,831,217 ()dawara Aug. 27, 1974 AUTOMATIC SHOE POLISHING MACHINE 3,066,338 12/1962 Nappi 15/34 [75] Inventor: Tsugumu Odawara, Hiroshimwken, 3,084,361 4/ l963 Outlaw l5/36 Japan 731 Assignee: Fuji Kikai Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Primary Examiner-Edward L-R Himshimwken, Japan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-W1ll1am Anthony Drucker [22] Filed: Feb. 16, 1973 2 A l. N 33 ,226 1 1 p 0 3 7 ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data An automatic shoe polishing machine with a housing Apr. 18, 1972 Japan 47-45007 having an end opening for the insertion of a shoe to be polished by a pair of side brushes and a horizontal {52] US. Cl. 15/34, 15/36 brush positioned at the corners of an isoceles triangle [51 Int. Cl A47! 23/02 and driven on flexible shafts, a driven sand removing Field of Search brush below said side brushes and a slideable plate /97 A below said side and front brushes for supporting said shoe and operating a switch for the drive for said [56] References Cited br hes UNITED STATES PATENTS 983,138 l/19l1 Hecker 15/36 1 Claim, 3 Drawing; Figures 4 PATENIED mszmu mama AUTOMATIC SHOE POLISHING MACHINE This invention relates to an automatic shoe polishing machine, with which the polishing of the upper surfaces of a shoe and removal of sand off the shoe sole can be automatically effected by merely moving the shoe back and forth over a sliding base plate.

Various types of automatic shoe polishing machines where the upper surfaces of the shoe is polished as the shoe is moved back and forth over a machine base are well known in the art. These prior-art automatic shoe polishing machines, however, are very complicated in the brush drive mechanism and brush rotation control mechanism. Also, they are inevitably large in size and expensive. These large-size automatic shoe polishing machines cannot be installed in places other than those having enough floor space for installation such as hotels, department stores and office buildings, and they are totally unsuitable as household utensils from the standpoints of costand size. Besides, though the priorart automatic shoe polishing machines can polish the upper surfaces of the shoe, none of them is provided with means to remove sand off the shoe sole.

The invention has been intended in view of the above prior-art shortcomings, and its has for its object the provision of an automatic shoe polishing machine having great practical usefulness such as smallness in size, lightness in weight, freedom from damage to parts of the drive section due to intrusion of dust and mud thereinto by vieture of sheltering thereof with a casing, capability of automatically leading falling dust and mud into a collecting section, ready portability and cheapness in cost.

A unique feature of the automatic shoe polishing machine according the invention resided in that two side brushes and one front brush are mounted on respective shafts each having a flexible shaft portion having a restoring character, so that the brushes can always rotate in contact with the shoe with a suitable contact pressure. Another unique feature of the invention resides in that driving force is transmitted to two side brushes, a front brush and a sand removing brush through a dexterous arrangement of pulleys and endless belts. A further unique feature of the invention resides in the provision of a safety switch provided separately from a main switch, which is closed by placing the shoe on a sliding base plate for automatically starting a drive motor. Unless the safety switch is on the operative state, the drive motor will not be started by placing the shoe on the sliding base plate, thus eliminating the otherwise possible hazard of accidentally causing the rotation of the brushes, for instance when a mischievous child places his shoe on the sliding base plate. A still further unique feature of the invention resided in that the side brushes and front brush is readily removable from their shaft, so that the replacement of these brushes can be done very simply.

The invention will now be described in conjunction with an embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic shoe polishing machine according to the invention.

H6. 2 is a sectional view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the same.

Referring to H6. 1, reference numeral 1 designates a base body, and numeral 2 a cover pivoted to the case body 1. The cover 2 is made, for instance, of plastics and is formed with a front notch 3, through which the shoe to be polished is inserted. A top plate 10 downwardly inclined toward the front is secured to the top of the case body 1 and extends within the cover 2 when the cover is in the closed state. The top plate 10 carries two side brushes 5a and 5b and a front brush 6 thercbehind, these brushes being rotatably mounted on respective shafts secured to the top plate. Centrally of the top plate 10, there is provided a sliding base plate, over which the shoe being polished is slizded back and forth. A further brush 7 for removing matter such as sand attached to the sole of the shoe being polished is provided on the underside of the sliding base plate 7. Nu meral 8 designates a collecting box to receive the mat ter removed off the shoe sole. Numeral 9 designates a pilot lamp.

The construction of the individual parts mentioned above will now be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Of the two side brushes 5a and 5b mounted as a pair and carried by the inclined top plate 10, the side brush 5b is removably mounted on an attachment shaft 19b coupled in alignment to a drive shaft 15a provided with a drive pulley 17 through a flexible shaft 18b of a material having a restoring character such as rubber. 'A cap 20b is. fitted on the upper end of the attachment shaft 19b to hold the brush 5b. The other side brush 5a is removably mounted on an attachment shaft 19a coupled in alignment to a drive shaft 15a having a pulley 26 secured thereto through a flexible shaft 18a of a material having a restoring character such as rubber. A cap 20a is fitted on the upper end of the attachment shaft 19a to keep the brush 5!). The front brush 6 is secured to a horizontal shaft 24 rotatably mounted in a support 23 secured to the top plate 10 such that its center is located at a point corresponding to an apex of an isoceles triangle with the base opposite that apex constituted by a line connecting the axes of the attachment shafts 19a and 19b of the respective side brushes 5a and 5b. The shaft 24 also has provided thereto a pulley 31 and a flexible shaft of a material having a restoring character such as rubber. The sand removing brush 7 is positioned on the underside of side brushes 5a and 5b and is actuated through a rotating shaft 13 located horizontally on support bracket 12 protruding inward. The shaft 13 also provided at its end with a pulley 25. The sliding base plate 4 has its front edge extending over the sand removing brush 7 and its rear edge secured by bolt and nut 11 to the case body 1. It has a resilient character, and its front edge is upwardly biased by spring means not shown provided beneath it so that it can be vertically pivotable for a required angle about its rear securement by bolt and nut 11. Thus, by placing the shoe to be pol ished on the sliding plate 4, the plate is pivoted or sags downwardly about its rear securement point of bolt and nut 11 due to its load from its normal nonload upper position. The underside of the sliding base plate 4 is provided with an electric switch 22, which is closed when the sliding base plate 4 is lowered. When the switch 22 is closed, a drive motor 14 secured to the underside of the top plate 10 is energized and started. A safety switch 21 is provided such that its actuating pin projects through the top plate 11 at a suitable position, so that it is closed by depressing the actuating pin. When the safety switch 21 is closed, the pilot lamp 9 provided on the front of the case body 1 is turned on.

In this state, the motor 14 can be started and stopped as the switch 22, which is a main switch, is operated. In other words, so long as the safety switch 21 is open, in which state the pilot lamp 9 is of the drive motor 14 will not be started even by placing the shoe on the sliding base plate 4 so that the brushes will not be rotated. In this way, the safety of operation is ensured. For the transmission of the output torque of the drive motor 14 to all the brushes, the drive shaft of the motor 14 is provided with three pulleys 30, from which the motor torque is transmitted through individual belts to the respective pulleys on the brush shafts. More partic ularly, an endless belt 27 is passed round the first one of the three pulleys 30 and the pulley 31 on the shaft 24 of the front brush 6. Another endless belt 28 is passed round the second one 30b of the three pulleys and the lower pulley 16 on the shaft 15b of the side brush b, and is also passed in the crossed state between the shafts a and 15b round the pulley 26 on the shaft 15a and the upper drive pulley 17 on the shaft 15b of the side brush 5b. Thus, while in run of the endless belt 28 going from the second pulley 30a to the free pulley 16 on the shaft 15b of the side brush 5b the motor torque is not transmitted, it is transmitted through the pulley 26 to the side pulley 5a, and in the run of the belt 28 from the pulley 26 to the drive pulley 17 for the side brush 5b it is transmitted to the drive pulley 17 to rotate the side brush 5b. Since the belt 28 is passed in the cross way, both the side brushes 5a and 5b are rotated in opposite directions. A further endless belt 29 is passed round the third one 30c of the three pulleys and the pulley 25 on the end of the shaft 13 of the sand removing brush 7. Below the sand removing brush 7, the collecting box 8 for receiving sand or like matter falling off the inclined top plate 10 and sand removing brush 7 is disposed such that it is removable from one side of the case body 1. The drive motor 14 and pulleys 16, 17 and 26 for the side brushes 5a and 5b are prevented from accumulation of dust by the case body 1 and top plate 10, while the pulleys 31 and 25 for the respective front brush 6 and sand removing brush 7 are provided with respective covers not shown to the dust-proof end. As an alternative to the above power transmission mechanism consisting of pulleys and endless belts, it is also possible to employ a combination of gears and torque transmission shafts. Further, although not shown, polishing cream supply means are held in contact with the side brushes 5a and 5b.

The operation of the automatic shoe polishing machine of the above construction according to the invention will now be described. Prior to placing the shoe to be polished on the sliding base plate 4 by inserting it through the notch 3 formed in the front of the cover 2 on the case body 1, the state of the pilot lamp 9 is confirmed. If the pilot lamp 9 is not on, the safety switch 21 is closed to connect powder supply to the machine. Then, the shoe is placed on the sliding base plate 4, whereby the sliding base plate 4 is lowered to push and close the switch 22, thus energyzing and starting the drive motor 14. By the starting of the drive motor 14, the side brushes 5a and 5b, front brush 6 and sand removing brush 7 all start their rotation in predetermined directions. By sliding the shoe 4 over the sliding base plate 4 back and forth, the sand mud attached to the shoe sole are removed, while both sides and toe of the shoe are polished by the side brushes 5a and 5b and front brush 6. [n this way, the whole shoe can be polished. In addition, since the polishing cream is supplied to the side brushes, these brushes has the effect of shining the shoe while removing dust thereoff. By lifting the shoe off the sliding base plate 4, the sliding base plate 4 is automatically returned to its upper position by the biasing spring means. As a result, the switch 22 is opened to stop the drive motor 14, thus stopping all the brushes. Since the side brushes 5a and 5b and front brush 6 are coupled to their drive shafts through the respective flexible shafts 18a, 18b and having a restoring character, in the sliding movement of the shoe over the sliding base plate 4 these brushes can be automatically maintained in contact with the shoe with a suitable contact pressure, so that effective polishing action can be obtained. The dust and mud falling on the inclined top plate 10 in the polishing operation is guided along the inclinded plane to be led to the collecting box, while those which are removed by the sand removing brush 7 are directly dropped into the collecting box 8. The collected dust and mud can be appropriately disposed by removing the box from one side of the case body 1.

As has been described in the foregoing, according to the invention it is possible to provide an automatic shoe polishing machine, which extremely simple in construction and hence free from trouble and inexpensive as well as being small in size, requiring small area for installation, light in weight, readily portable, and of which a wide scope of use unavailable with the prior-art automatic shoe polishing machine can be expected.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic shoe polishing machine comprising: a pair of side brushes removably mounted on respective shafts, each shaft having a flexible portion, said shafts being mounted on a top plate and adapted to be driven such that side brushes are rotated in opposite directions; a front brush removably mounted on a horizontal shaft having a flexible portion, said front brush being located at the apex of an isoceles triangle and mounted on said top plate, the base of said triangle opposite said apex being constituted by a line connecting the axes of said shafts of said side brushes; a sand removing brush mounted on a horizontal shaft extending below said side brushes and on the underside of said top plate; a sliding base plate forming a shoe support extending below said side brushes and front brush and having a front edge extending over said removing brush, said sliding base plate being fixed at its rear end and capable of vertical pivotal or sagging movement with said fixed rear end serving as a fixed support point; an on-off electric switch operated by the pivotal or sagging motion of said sliding base plate; a drive motor started and stopped by the operation of said electric switch; a torque transmission mechanism for transmitting the output torque from said drive motor to said side brushes, front brush and removing brush, said torque transmission mechanism consisting of coupling means; and a collecting box disposed beneath said removing brush to collect sand and like matter. 

1. An automatic shoe polishing machine comprising: a pair of side brushes removably mounted on respective shafts, each shaft having a flexible portion, said shafts being mounted on a top plate and adapted to be driven such that side brushes are rotated in opposite directions; a front brush removably mounted on a horizontal shaft having a flexible portion, said front brush being located at the apex of an isoceles triangle and mounted on said top plate, the base of said triangle opposite said apex being constituted by a line connecting the axes of said shafts of said side brushes; a sand removing brush mounted on a horizontal shaft extending below said side brushes and on the underside of said top plate; a sliding base plate forming a shoe support extending below said side brushes and front brush and having a front edge extending over said removing brush, said sliding base plate being fixed at its rear end and capable of vertical pivotal or sagging movement with said fixed rear end serving as a fixed support point; an on-off electric switch operated by the pivotal or sagging motion of said sliding base plate; a drive motor started and stopped by the operation of said electric switch; a torque transmission mechanism for transmitting the output torque from said drive motor to said side brushes, front brush and removing brush, said torque transmission mechanism consisting of coupling means; and a collecting box disposed beneath said removing brush to collect sand and like matter. 